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Lush and rich: The John H Watson Society on Sherlock Holmes and the Eisendorf Enigma

By
Elise Elliot

The John H Watson Society

January 19, 2017

Taking place during the Retirement Years, even past World War I, Eisendorf Enigma is a fun, fast-paced mystery. I was very excited when NetGalley sent me an ARC of Millett’s latest Sherlock Holmes novel- growing up, his novels were some of the first pastiches I encountered- and I’m deeply grateful to them for the opportunity to read this book in advance and comment on it.

The story begins quickly, almost abruptly, with the reader being introduced to several things at once, including Holmes’ illness and his history in Munich, before we find ourselves in Eisendorf itself, meeting our cast of suspects. Eisendorf is a miniscule German village in Minnesota, and it’s layered in secrets. It is fascinating to see Holmes attempt to tease out information from people when literally everyone he meets lies to him or misdirects him, and the only records he can consult are written by the same people who are lying to him. Although the book starts very quickly, it soon adjusts to a slower, more measured pace that absolutely suits the very Southern Gothic atmosphere of this book. We spend a great deal of time meeting the inhabitants of the town, few as they are, and learning the history and the founding of Eisendorf. In between these moments, we flash back to 1892 Munich, when Holmes first encountered the serial killer known as the Monster. The two stories are woven together well, each contributing new insights to the other.